October's Prayer Topic: The Fruit of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" Galatians 5:22, 23

I remember learning this verse growing up and for the longest time I had it in my head that it said fruits of the Spirit. Fruit"s." Plural. 

But, when you read the Bible, that's not it at all. It says, "the fruit of the Spirit." Fruit. Singular. No "s" attached. 

This concept of one, whole fruit, singular, is hard for me to wrap my mind around, especially because it's a list.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. How can this be? How can those things be one?

I struggle with this because I have compartmentalized each of these things. I think I have joy, kindness, gentleness. I struggle with patience, peace, and self-control. If they are suppose to be one, then what do I need to do the get the others to make the fruit complete. 

This is when I realized I've been going about it the wrong way. It's not me that does and we don't get them one at a time. 

It is one, and it is a gift. 

In Matthew 12:33 Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit." Then in John 15:4-8, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

On my own, I can only produce bad fruits, the "desires of the flesh." But when Christ abides in me and I in Him, whether grown that way or grafted that way, good fruit is produced. 

Don't believe Satan's lies and half truths that we can work it out on our own, obtaining them one at a time. That's not what God has said. If we believe this to be true and claim His promise that we will receive the FRUIT of the Spirit, He will do just that!

Don't lose heart, don't get discourage. "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you," (Philippians 1:6 ESV) is faithful to complete what He has promised. 

Trust Christ. He is producing good Fruit in you.

"The individual member are not isolated graces, but all connected, springing from one root and constituting an organic whole." ~Alexander MacLaren

Galatians 5:16-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.